


It's Time to Grow Up

by PikachuBandit



Category: The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Anger, Bad Neighbourhood, Broken Families, Depressing, F/F, F/M, Growing Up, I'm Bad At Tagging, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Multi, Murder, References to Drugs, Underage Drinking, Underage Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-21
Updated: 2016-04-21
Packaged: 2018-06-03 15:02:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6615145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PikachuBandit/pseuds/PikachuBandit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[Rated Mature for content involved]</p>
<p>Newt didn't want to be the boy that everyone scowled at with disgust because he reeked of weeks old clothes and the scent of heavy drugs wafted off his skin. He didn't want to be the boy to help raise his best friend's children even though he wasn't even sixteen years old. He didn't want to watch his friends die or end up in prison solely because it's the only thing they knew. He didn't want to be that kid, but it was the only thing he knew. Now, he's trying to escape and he's trying to take his best friends with him because maybe if he can't be saved, one of them can.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The ideas of a perfect life would vanish out of Newt's mind every time he would wake up to the echoing sounds of bloody screaming and loud gunshots. It was hard to imagine a perfect life where having bullets pierce the peeling wallpaper of the rooms in your small apartment was a simple and forgotten part of your everyday life. It was hard to imagine being truly happy when most mornings you would lay on your couch, counting the shots that felt a little too close because counting sheep never worked during the night.

"..Ten," Newt breathed, his voice slightly jarred with relief as his eyes flickered over to the empty shell that was laying on the middle of his living room floor. It was barely six in the morning and already, a violent fight has started within the perimeter of his apartment. Groaning quietly, Newt gathered up all his strength and pushed himself up so he was hunched over, looking like he was about to retch up yesterday's dinner. His eyes were hazy and glassy, the apparent mask of sleepless nights taking place under his eyes. His face looked ghastly, but that couldn't take away the smile he could cleverly place on his face and leaving everyone content. 

Turning his head slightly, Newt turned to look at the fresh holes in the wall above his couch and silently thanked himself for being lazy and the shooter for picking a gun that wouldn't wake his grandma up into a frenzy. His grandmother was a bitter woman who hated his friends and would always yell at him if things weren't going right for her. She was the woman that everyone despised secretly but praised to her face out of fear. She was the only biological family Newt had left behind. 

Snapping out of his trance, Newt decided to quickly jump off the couch and move towards the front door. Maybe, if he was lucky, he would be able to leave without any commotion. He slowly slid on his worn sneakers, quietly chuckling at the way his toes would make contact with the cool floor due the holes that scattered themselves along the bottom of his shoe. He didn't bother changing out of his clothes because there was no use; it's not like anyone would notice.

"Just where do you think you're going?" A shrill voice snapped, startling Newt. He straightened his stance and turned around to face his grandmother with crossed arms.  She had her eyes narrowed, her arms on her hips, and curlers in her hair. She was young, considering she had a fifteen-year-old grandson while she was in her mid-fourties. 

"I'm going out." Newt's answer was brief and cold, silently reminding the two of them of their vacancy of family love. She narrowed her eyes at her grandson, a scowl growing on her face. Her arms moved to rest directly on her hips as she spat out her next sentence. "Are you fucking deaf? Do you hear the guns going off?"

"If I wanted to die, I wouldn't be the fucking idiot that jumped into the middle of some bullshit war. I'm just going out with friends."

"With those prostitute kids?" Newt's grandmother taunted, causing Newt to clench his jaw shut as his grip on the doorknob tightened impeccably. His eyes flared with a sudden burst of anger and his grandmother knew she hit him in the right spot. She despised his friends, especially three of them; Thomas, Brenda, and Teresa. Teresa was forced into prostitution and does it as a job to gain money so she'll be able to go back to school. Brenda was the new girl in town and everyone knew right away that she was a lesbian, which was confirmed when she started dating Teresa. As for Thomas? She hated him because of how happy he made Newt. She found it to be borderline "gay and disgusting". 

"Fuck off, Grandma. At least they make me feel loved and like I matter. All you care about is the fucking check you get for me every bloody month." His grandmother scoffed loudly as he punctuated his last word harshly. He slammed the door behind him angrily, feeling the doorknob vibrate beneath his hand. She was probably locking him out of the house, demanding he learned respect for his elders. Storming off, Newt quietly screamed with frustration. He hated her with every bone in his body, but she was the only place he could stay. She would rather he died in her apartment so she can collect child's tax monthly and say some bullshit on how he was sleeping or feeling sick. 

"Newt?" A quiet yet soothing voice called out from the other side of the floor, near the stairs. Turning slightly, Newt felt his entire body relax as the familiar smile of his best friend ignited a feeling deep within his chest. Tilting his head slightly, Newt slowly moved towards his friend and then furrowed his eyebrows in confusion with he saw a sad look hidden deep within the boy's dark brown eyes. 

"What's wrong, Tommy?" Thomas just shook his head, sighing before sitting down on the top step with his face in his hands. His brown hair was spiked randomly from lack of brushing it and his clothes looked like he hadn't bothered to change. Newt would tease him if the time was right, but he knew that Thomas needed a friend right now. 

"It's just Ava. She wouldn't let me take the baby when her ex came to the door and started a large argument. He just seemed so angry and I wanted to protect him." Sitting next to Thomas, Newt placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder with a quiet sigh. Thomas adored Ava's son because it was the closest he would ever have to a baby brother. Even though Ava was technically his cousin and only three years older than her, he treated her like she was his mother. 

"Hey, I'm sure the baby will be okay. It's not the first time this has happened and you know that Ava always kicks him out and takes care of Chuck, remember? I know you love him but chill, mate. He's okay." Thomas nodded with agreement, a small smile growing on his face before reaching up and ruffling Newt's already messy hair. "Yeah, you're right. I take it your grandma is being a bitch today?" Newt laughed, shaking his head with a wide grin. 

"Mega." The noise in the room fell to a comfortable silence as the pair slowly prepared themselves for the coming day. Even they lived a life with barely any responsibilities, they were tired as hell and they both had rude awakenings. The sound of pattering feet and laboured breathing echoed loudly as it drew closer, interrupting the silence that the boys were quietly thankful for. It was Teresa standing at the bottom step, her eyes filled with tears as she struggled to drawl out each word. 

"You.. Newt.. Come.. Now." She turned on her heel and began sprinting down three flights of stairs. Thomas and Newt shared a confused expression before following after her, trying to find a legitimate reason she would be so widely panicked about whatever she needed them for. 

"She's crying, out of breath, and sprinting downstairs," Newt analyzed, shaking his head gently. Thomas was a few steps ahead of him, heavy on Teresa's heel before they reached the lobby and Teresa stopped them before leaving the apartment. "Look, this is graphic as heck. I need you two to be okay, please. Please." 

"We'll be okay," Newt butted in, answering for Thomas because he knew Thomas a little too well. The boy would give a confused answer and then he'd turn stone cold. Teresa gave a curt nod before leading them outside. Her shoulders stopped shaking but a quiet gasp escaped between her lips. Thomas reached behind him and grabbed his best friend's shirt tightly as a form of support as he kept his eyes trained on the sight. A police officer was beginning to put up 'Do Not Cross' tape in front of them while another examined the sight in front of them. It was a young boy, barely four years old. His skull was shattered and open causing his brain to splatter across the pavement. Broken bones protruded out of his body and he was laying in an empty pool of blood. His curly brown hair was falling into his vacantly surprised eyes but it made Newt cold to the bone. The big eyes that used to be filled with joy was now boring into his skin like acid. 

"Is that.." Newt trailed off quietly, his hand clutching at Thomas' grip on his shirt. 

"It's Chuck."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chuck is dead and Newt is terrified of the truth.

Newt shivered, his eyes moving away from gut-wrenching sight in front of him. His entire body felt cold and dead as he watched the police shake their heads. The kid had no chance of survival; not with the impact of the fall and the gunshot that pierced his chest. Thomas was leaning against Newt, thankful that the older boy was supporting his weight as he went numb. No one could shed tears or scream out in shock. They were too cold to do so.

"Excuse me," a gruff voice interjected, startling the three teens. A policeman moved towards them, frowning deeply. "I'm sorry but you need to leave the crime scene, please." Teresa nodded, grabbing Thomas' shirt sleeve to draw his attention away from the sight. Newt followed quietly behind, waiting for Thomas' outburst. He never did react well to losing someone close to him.

"Let's go find the others," Thomas muttered, snapping his sleeve away from Teresa and shoving his hands into his pockets. He felt a burst of anger flash through his body, leaving him mentally paralyzed. His thoughts consisted of one thing: _Chuck is dead. I could have protected him._ Newt glanced at him with pitiful eyes before shaking his head and returning his gaze back to the floor. The trio walked in a slow pattern, dragging their feets behind each other as silence sunk heavily on their shoulders. The sight of the boy wouldn't leave their minds, but they couldn't do anything about it. It was usual; to lose someone and pretend like it didn't bother you. It was horrible when it was the children. The children with their contagious laughter and their bright eyes and their will to live. 

"Newt? Thomas? Tee?" One of their friends called, catching their attention and causing them to all look towards the left near their usual hangout. There were only two people sitting there, one with red eyes and the other with a stone cold expression on his face. A cigarette was hanging from the corner of Minho's mouth as he chuckled coldly. 

"You see the body?" Newt nodded, placing himself beside Minho and snorted lightly. Minho was that type of friend who would straighten you up and make you forget what had happened. He would offer you a cigarette and leave you at that, not bothering to care for your emotions. He would bring you to the brink of happiness and pull you back before you tripped over your stumbling feet. Alby, on the other hand, would sit there and listen to every problem you had while reassuring you calmly. It was a wonder of how they were able to be friends without clashing heads. 

"Yeah, man," Thomas spat, his tone on an edge as he sat next to Alby. Teresa stood in the middle of them all, twirling her hair as she shifted her weight on either heel anxiously as her eyes traveled between all the boys quickly. Everyone knew she had an upcoming shift and lately, there was a male who had proven to abuse her and use her body in horrific manners for his desires but she couldn't fight it. "It was fucking horrific."

"That's my baby cousin you're talking about there," Alby muttered, chucking a broken stick at Minho's chest before turning to Newt with a sloopy half-smile. "Hey man, have you seen Brenda lately? She's been kind of off and I was wondering if you could go talk to her or something, I don't know." Newt shook his head, raising an eyebrow slightly. 

"Mate, I hardly talk to her. Go ask her girlfriend or _best friend,"_ Newt hissed, nodding his head in Thomas and Teresa's direction. Brenda was a beautiful girl who made everyone snap back into reality when needed, much like Alby, but the two had an unspoken amount of hostility between the two of them. She was all over Thomas to taunt Newt and would always tease him privately about being in love with friend - which he rightfully denied - and even got her girlfriend to kiss Thomas for the sake of doing so. 

"You're the group mother man, we need you. Go talk to her." Newt grumbled, crossing his arms before Thomas spoke up with a softer voice. He offered to tag along with Newt in case one of the two decided to have a spiteful argument in the middle of the apartment. Newt was a generally kind person but as soon as someone stepped over his thin and untraceable line, he would explode and no one would be able to bring him back - aside from Thomas. 

"I'll stay here with the boys," Teresa called over to Newt who nodded with confirmation. Minho cried out loudly, his hands moving to shield his hair because Newt stood up and began to ruffle it to ease the tension that heavily weighed on everyone's shoulders. "We'll be back with the girl." The three staying behind easily dived into a new conversation while Newt and Thomas walked away towards their apartment. One of the reasons that the group worked so well was that half lived in the same apartment building while the other half lived within walking distance. Thomas, Newt, Brenda, and Alby lived in the same apartment building while Gally, Minho, and Teresa lived close by.

"Ease up, _mother_ ," Thomas teased, mentioning Alby's comment from earlier. Newt just scowled, shoving his hands into his pockets while moving towards the door. His head pounded mercilessly as he tried to sort his thoughts into considerable categories but it wasn't working. Everything was so jumbled up and it was putting him on edge. "Hey man, you okay?" Thomas reached forward and placed a hand on Newt's shoulder, stopping the blond from walking up the stairs. 

"I'm fine," Newt lied through gritted teeth before forcing a smile to get Thomas to ease off of him. "Let's just go get Brenda." The pair began to jolt up the stairs, silently declaring a race. The pounding of their feet echoed through each floor, followed by heavy panting until they reached the fifth floor. Newt lived on the seventh floor along with Thomas, leaving a two floor gap between the two. Newt panted loudly, attempting to catch his breath while Thomas just laughed at him. They used to be on the track team together until Newt dropped it but Thomas continued to run on the daily. 

Finally catching his breath, Newt knocked on Brenda's front door. It was peeling red paint and it looked as if you even touched it, it would collapse in on itself. The door was quickly whipped open and the two teens were greeted by a middle-aged woman with curlers in her dark brown hair. 

"Hello ma'am, is Brenda awake?" Thomas interjected, a wide grin on his face as he spoke to her mother. Newt always got flustered when forced to talk to people's parents. 

"No, she's not. You may wake her, if you please." The lady stepped out of the way, opening the door all the way before closing it behind the two. "I'm going to be in the bathroom, preparing for work if you need me." Newt nodded and Thomas thanked the woman before they went to Brenda's bedroom. 

"Hey kid," Thomas called as he sat down on the edge of Brenda's bed as Newt leaned against the door frame. Her short hair was falling in her eyes as her eyes fluttered open easily. She was already awake but was refusing to get out of bed for her mother. 

"What do you guys want?" She whined, her voice rich and slightly husky and Newt sighed. "Alby wanted me to check up on you. Something is going on and you won't tell him?"  

"I _really_  don't want to talk about it right now." Brenda kept her voice sharp and deadly as a sign for the boys to drop the topic right now. Newt nodded, keeping his arms crossed as Thomas began to ramble on uselessly. "Well, that's okay, yeah, but we are-"

"Just get up, please. Chuck was just killed so we're going to hang out and take Alby's mind off of it all." Brenda's eyes went wide at Newt's words, immediately sitting up. Her oversized t-shirt fell off her shoulder, exposing dark marks that littered along her collarbone and shoulder. Newt raised an eyebrow but as soon as she noticed his gaze, her face flushed a nervous red. Turning on his heel, Newt left the room. There was something off about the marks on Brenda; there was no way Teresa could have left them there. 

"You ready to go downstairs, man?" Thomas hollered, wrapping an arm around Newt's shoulders after closing Brenda's bedroom door. His excitement was a facade, but Newt knew it was better off to leave it alone. "We'll find the rest and then race or something, I don't know." Newt nodded as if it was a great idea, smiling before Brenda opened her bedroom door, wearing new clothes. 

"Let's race down!" Thomas screamed, running through the apartment and whipping the front door open. He sprinted off down the stairs, expecting Newt and Brenda to follow him close behind but neither did. Brenda just shut the door and slowly walked down the stairs, awkwardly shifting away from Newt. 

"I won't bite," Newt stated after they walked down two flights of stairs. Thomas' screaming was fading more into the distance, meaning he was close to the lobby. Brenda just glanced at him and shrugged, quickening her pace down the steps. "I'm not a bad guy."

"I know, Newt, but we just don't get along. I don't know why Alby and Thomas seem to try to get us to work together."

"A group of friends doesn't work if two hate each other." The conversation ended abruptly at Newt's comment due to them reaching the lobby. Thomas stood there with his arms crossed and a pout lip. He was beginning to whine about them not following him, but Brenda told him to shut up and grow up. It was his way of dealing with emotions, but it could irritate people at times. 

"Let's just go back to the others. It's probably better than sitting in this awkward group," Thomas thought aloud, his hands migrating to sit in the pockets of his jeans. He wasn't wrong. The awkward tension was beginning to suffocate then all.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a re-write from a really shitty story I wrote back in 2012 when I didn't know what gay ships and details were. Maybe, if you're all ready for a horrible war flashback, I'll link it one day but for now, please give feedback and such.  
> Thank you!


End file.
